Grounding device for electrical conductors.



F. W. PARDEE.

CRCUNDINC DEVICE PCR ELECTRICAL CCNDUCTCRS.

APPLICATION IILBD JAN.15.1910.

1,013,305. Patented Jan. 2, 1912.

w/ rn/isses: v /NVEN rom' UNITED STATES *PATENT OFFICE..

FRANK W. .'PARDEE, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORTO 'PARAGON SELLERS COM- PANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

GEouNnmo DEVICE Eon, ELECTRICAL coNDUcToEs.

l Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2,1912.

Applicationvled January 15, 1910. Serial No. 538,177.v

T 0 all whom #may concern: l

, citizen of the United States `of America, re-

sidingA atV Evanston, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented anew and useful Grounding Device for Electrical Conductors, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, illustrating same.

My invention relates to grounding devices used for grounding various electrical conductors in various circuits and electrical systems. The principal objects of my invention are, to provide an improved grounding device of the character herein set forth, and' to also provide improved means for attaching a ground wire or conductor to` the grounding device. 1

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

In the accompanying drawings illustrat-v ing the preferred form of my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device of the invention, with portions broken away to show the interior construction thereof; Fig. 2 is a top view of the device shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a portion of the sheet metal cone 'shown in Fig. 1, showing the perforations -of the metal and the formation of the discharge points thereon.

Like characters' refer to like parts in the several figures.

The device of this invention consists essentially of a receptacle 1, preferably made from a perforated piece of' sheet copper rolled into conical form, a moisture-collecting and moisture-retaining material 2, pref- 'erably charcoal or coke, within the sheet metal receptacle 1, a sheet metal cap 3 for closing the lower end of the receptacle 1, a sheet metal cap 4 for closing the upper, end of the receptacle l, and a hollow Woven' metallic cable 5, preferably made of copper Wire, extendinJ through the receptac e' 1 preferably as s own. l

The small end of the sheet metal portion 1, and the inner end of the copper cable 5,

are lpreferably secured to the sheetmetal cap 3 by a metallic solder 6 which is preferably run into the cap 3 as shown. Such a connection makes rigid electrical contact between the 'cable 5 and the' portion or casing 1. l

sheet metalI 4dered in place into the cap 3 as described,

then the'casing l is filled with the charcoal or coke 2, and then the cap 4 is placed over the upper end of the casing 1, being v preferably held in place by a small quantity of solder which rigidly holds it to the casing l.

The hollow woven cable 5 extends out but a few inches from the large end of the oasing 1, this extension of the cable 5 being adapted` to receive a ground Wire 7 when the grounding device is being installed, the ground wire 7 being inserted into the hollow cable 5 clear through the receptacle 1 to thesolder 6 and then being secured to the'vcable 5 by a quantity of metallic solder 8 which is applied to the outer end of the. cable 5 preferably as shown, this solder 8 penetrating between the strands of -the woven cable 5 and uniting with the ground f wire 7 so as to form a solid metallic. contact between these parts. With this construction it is 'not necessary to extend the woven cable 5 clear up to the pole or line wire as has been customary heretofore, the ground wire 7 servingk to make connection from the grounding device tothe line wire or other conductor. Thus it will be seen that this method of connecting the ground wire 7 with the grounding device simplilies the grounding device and also cuts down the cost on account of saving a considerable length of woven vcable 5. The woven cable 5 also has a gripping action on the ground wire 7.

It is well known that ectricity dis* charges more readily from points than from a comparatively smooth surface. Therefore to cause the discharge of electricity from the g ounding device tol more readily take plage? the metallic casing 1 is provided with numerous outwardly projecting points. 9 9 thereon covering the body thereof preferably as shown, these points 9 9 being preferably V-shaped or angular in form and belng formed out of thesheet metal casing 1l preferably as shown in Fig. 3. The points 9 9 being formed out of the metal portion l as shown, leave numerous perforationsA 10 10 through the sheet metal casing 1 preferably as shown in Fig. 3. In addition to this the points 9 9 serve to greatly increase the' contact surface of the grounding device as a Whole, 'Withthe material surrounding same when installed. 'lihe moisture collected by the charcoal or coke 2 may readily pass through the perforations 10 -10 in the casing 1.

In installing the grounding device it is preferably buried in the earth, being preferably surrounded by a quantity of coke.I

,Whatever may be the material surrounding the grounding device, the numerous discharge points 9 9 thereon serve to provide numerous paths for the conduction of elecl tricity from the grounding device to the surrounding material and o' through the earth, these points 9 9 greatly increasing the tally, with the small end to the top and the hollow cable extending from the small end of the device, etc.

I do not Wish to limit this invention to all of the particular details herein set forth, as

various modifications of same may be made Without departing from the scope of the appended claim. Neitherdo I Wish to limit the projecting points 9 9 to any particular shape, as various shapes may be used under various conditions With good results.

What l claim as my invention is:

A grounding device of the character set forth, comprising a perforated sheet-metal receptacle having the material from the perforations turnedoutwardly to provide numerous pointed outwardly-projecting dischargers, and moisture-collecting material lWithin the receptacle.

As inventor, of the foregoing lhereunto subscribe my name, this 7th day of J anuary, 1910. l

FRANK W. PARDEE.

lVitnesses: i

P. B. Gilroy,

F. MARIAN HAUPT. 

